PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Tues. Apr. 5, 2005: Capital and financial market integration is critical to helping small states overcome vulnerability. That’s according to Grenada’s Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell, who made the remarks yesterday during his address to delegates attending the 5th Euro money/Latin Finance Caribbean Investment Forum at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre in Port of Spain. Speaking on the ‘Small State Vulnerability and the C.S.M.E.: Integrating a String of Pearls,’ Mitchell cited the many vulnerabilities of small states, including natural disasters as experienced by his own country, Grenada last year. And he again made the case for the Caribbean Single Market & Economy, which he said should be considered as a precursor to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. Said Mitchell, “If we are to prevent these economies from ‘falling behind’ or worse yet ‘falling between the cracks,’ it is critical that we devise economic and financial modalities and strategies, which not only facilitates, but finances their full participation into the CSME - sooner rather than later.” Reprinted from hardbeatnews.com